


Thalassophobia

by jisungsjheekies



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: F/M, SKZ Imagines, Stray Kids Angst, Stray Kids Fluff, Stray Kids Imagines, skz - Freeform, skz angst, skz fluff, skz yang jeongin, stray kids - Freeform, stray kids yang jeongin, yang jeongin - Freeform, yang jeongin angst, yang jeongin fluff, yang jeongin imagines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:54:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23416324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jisungsjheekies/pseuds/jisungsjheekies
Summary: Genre: Angst, fluffWord count: 2.4kWarnings: Panic attack, swearing
Relationships: Yang Jeongin | I.N/Reader
Kudos: 20





	Thalassophobia

The smell of the salty air hit your nose immediately as you walked down the length of the boardwalk. Just off in the distance, the waves crashed against the shore, the beach abandoned despite the beautiful day. You sighed, a smile making its way to your lips as you took in the scene before you. No better way than to spend this sunny day relaxing on the beach, curled up with a book.

“HHHHHHHHHH,” Jisung ran past you, screaming with Hyunjin in tow.

 _Well…so much for relaxing_ , you thought. Rolling your eyes, you trailed after them while the rest of the boys unpacked the cars. Bending over, you collected your sandals in your hand, allowing the sand to seep between your toes. You walked further down the beach until you were stood in the shallowest part of the sea, the waves brushing against your ankles. You weren’t a fan of the ocean, having been afraid of it ever since an incident that had occurred back when you were younger, but you didn’t mind getting your feet wet. Mostly, when you’d come to the beach, you’d always opt for sunbathing or walking along the shore, collecting any seashells that caught your eye. Being afraid of the ocean sucked sometimes. On days when the sun was unforgiving and there was no breeze to keep you cool, you wanted nothing more than to jump in the water to cool yourself off, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it, having to suffer in the heat with just your water bottle and a book to fan yourself off with. Thankfully, today was more bearable, a slight breeze flowing through the air and a few clouds scattered across the sky to offer you temporary shade.

Your train of thought was interrupted as water splashed against your back. You turned around to yell at whoever it was, assuming it was Jisung, but your eyes locked on your boyfriend, your aggravation vanishing as your expression softened. Giggling lightly, you kicked some water back at Jeongin as he laughed, attempting to block your attack.

“When you’re done daydreaming, the boys and I have everything set up,” Jeongin said, pointing a little ways up the beach. You turned your attention to where he pointed, noticing the blankets scattered over the sand, along with the umbrellas perched for shade. The cooler, that you and Jeongin had stuffed full with the lunch you’d prepared for everyone, was placed in the center of the mess.

“I must have been zoned out for a while because there’s no way you guys managed to set all that up that quick,” you laughed.

“You’re not wrong,” Jeongin laughed, “Felix almost broke the umbrellas trying to set them up.” You shook your head in amusement before making your way up to where the rest of the boys were gathered, Jeongin following closely behind you.

“Anyone up for playing soccer?” Chan asked the group, everyone nodded in response before turning to you. “Y/N?” Chan asked you directly, considering you were the only one to not respond.

“I’m good. You boys have fun, I’m gonna read for a bit,” you told them, turning away to find your bag. Jeongin had placed it carefully next to your spot on the blanket, knowing you’d want to be under an umbrella so you could read in peace. The boys all rid their shirts, leaving them in just their swimsuits as they took off down the beach. Jeongin ran after them, but not before giving you a peck on your forehead, a small smile making its way to your lips at his sweet gesture.

With the boys off playing down the beach, you reached into your bag, pulling out whatever book you’d thrown in there, the cover reading “ _Everything Everything_ ” by Nicola Yoon. It’d been a while since you’d read it last so you were satisfied with your choice. Getting comfortable on the blanket, you laid on your stomach and placed the book flat in front of you before opening to the first page.

Immersed in the novel, you’d gotten at least four chapters in when you felt a tap on your shoulder. Looking up, you used your hand to shield the sunlight from your eyes as you looked at your boyfriend who was crouched before you. Jeongin reached his hand out to you, a smile on his face.

“Take a break and walk with me,” Jeongin said. You folded the corner of the page you’d left off on, closed the book and placed it in your bag before grabbing ahold of Jeongin’s hand for him to help you stand. You were wearing your swimsuit under your normal clothes so you opted for removing your shirt but left your shorts on as you walked hand in hand with Jeongin down the beach. You noticed the rest of the boys playing in the ocean, splashing or tackling each other under the water. You laughed at your friends acting like children, part of you wishing you could join them. You shook your head, ridding the negative thought, not wanting to upset yourself while you were supposed to be enjoying the day with your boyfriend and friends. Jeongin squeezed your hand in his, pulling you to the edge of the shore before pointing down.

“Look!” Jeongin cheered happily at his discovery. You looked down, your eyes landing on the massive pile of seashells that had been washed in from the waves. You beamed at Jeongin before bending down, your fingers picking through the various shells, trying to find the best for your collection. Most of them were broken, but when you’d found one still whole, you’d grab it and show it to Jeongin with a proud smile on your face before putting it in the pocket of your shorts and continuing your search. Your eyes caught sight of something bright blue deep in the pile as you reached down to grab it, an excited squeal falling from your lips as you rolled the shell around in your hand. It would definitely be the brightest shell in your collection with its blue exterior and speckles of yellow and white scattered on it.

 _Jeongin would love this one_ , you thought. Standing upright, you went to turn around to show him what you’d found when a pair of arms wrapped around your figure, lifting you from the ground and ran off. It was obvious that Changbin had been the one to grab you based off the sound of his laughter in your ear. You squealed from the shock before you realized what Changbin’s intentions were, your body tensing up instantly.

“Put me down! Changbin, NO!” you shouted but he didn’t hear you over his own laughter. He couldn’t hear the panic in your voice. He didn’t know you were scared of the ocean, none of them did. You’d never shared that detail about yourself with them, and right now, you were regretting that as Changbin trudged further into the water with you frozen in his arms. Your back was against his chest so he couldn’t see the way your eyes welled up with tears.

Once the water was up to Changbin’s hips, he’d picked you up just enough to toss you out. You had tried to grab his arms to stop him from letting go of you but it was too late, your body being engulfed by the water. All air left your lungs as you panicked. Coming up to the surface, the water hit just at your breasts. The boys stared at you, all of them laughing because of Changbin’s little prank on you. None of them were able to see your face clearly, your head tilted down as the water droplets disguised the silent tears that streamed down your face. Your eyes flickered over the water, your body on high alert as you watched for anything that might approach you. Refusing to move, your legs locked in place, not wanting to draw attention to yourself if anything was near you. The water was a bit cloudy, making it difficult to see your own feet. There’s no telling what was in the water with you, and you’d rather not find out either. Just the thought had you shaking uncontrollably. You heard a voice in the distance but refused to take your eyes off the water.

“Y/N!” Jeongin yelled from a distance. Worry filled his body the moment you came up from the water. He couldn’t see your face clearly, still on the shore where you’d left him, but he could tell something was wrong when you weren’t responding to any of the boys’ calls. Jeongin began to make his way towards you, stopping only for a moment when he noticed your body shaking.

“Y/N?” Jeongin called out to you softly. His heart broke in pieces when you looked up at him, everyone finally able to see your tear stricken cheeks and your eyes wide with terror. The ocean’s current stirred up the floor around your feet as something brushed against your foot, wrapping around your ankle. You screamed, sobs wracking through your body as you struggled to breathe. Jeongin hurried towards you as fast as the water would allow him. _Did you get hurt when Changbin threw you?_ Jeongin wondered as he finally approached you, your eyes screwed shut. A screamed rippled through you when Jeongin reached out to grab you, your eyes shooting open to lock with your boyfriend’s worried ones. You wanted to jump in his arms, but your body was frozen in place.

“Baby what’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Jeongin asked you in a panic. All you could do was shake your head, unable to find the words to answer him. Jeongin picked you up in his arms, the movement making whatever was wrapped around your ankle to move as well, causing you to cry even harder as you gripped onto Jeongin’s shoulders. As quickly as he could, Jeongin carried you back to shore and up to your spot on the beach, the rest of the boys following behind, confusion and worry etched on their faces. Jeongin sat down on one of the blankets with you in his lap, cradling you against his chest in an attempt to calm you. He noticed a piece of seaweed had wrapped around your foot, quickly removing it from your body. Changbin had grabbed a towel from one of the bags and draped it over your body. Jeongin nodded his head at him as a thanks. All the boys could do was watch in silence as Jeongin held you, his hands rubbing circles over your back for comfort. Your choked sobs caused his hold to tighten on you. 

“Shhh you’re okay. You’re safe. Nothing’s gonna hurt you, I promise. Just breathe,” Jeongin whispered in your ear as he rocked you back and forth in his arms. You tucked your face in his neck, trying your best to steady your racing heart. You focused on the sound of his voice as he whispered comforting words to you. Jeongin ran his fingers through your messy hair, the feeling soothing you just a little. Feeling the way your body was starting to relax in his arms, he sighed in relief. “I’ve got you, don’t worry,” Jeongin said softly.

Taking it one step at a time, you concentrated on the way his chest rose and fell, matching your breaths with his in order to get your breathing back to normal. Finally feeling like you could breathe again, your shaking had also ceased as well as your crying, only sniffles falling from you.

“Y/N?” Jeongin said, pulling your body back from his just enough so he could see your face. Your cheeks were flushed red, your eyes swollen from crying as you looked back at him. “Are you okay?” Jeongin asked.

“Yes,” you croaked, your throat dry and voice hoarse from your previous episode. Changbin approached your side, handing you a bottle of water. You took it from him, muttering thanks before downing half of the liquid, instant relief to your sore throat.

“What happened?” Jeongin asked. You turned your gaze away, tilting your head down in embarrassment as you answered.

“I’m afraid of the ocean.”

“Oh my god, Y/N, I’m so fucking sorry. If I had known, I would have never done that,” Changbin told you, feeling extremely guilty for causing your panic attack. You shook your head at him.

“It’s not your fault, Binnie. You didn’t know, plus, it’s just a silly little fear. I’m sorry I overreacted,” you sighed. You felt guilty for ruining everyone’s day at the beach. It was supposed to be a fun day, an escape from all the stress you guys had been dealing with.

“Don’t apologize for something you can’t control. We all have our own fears, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. I would’ve reacted the same way if I had been in your shoes,” Jeongin reassured you. “While I wish we would’ve found out differently, I’m glad we at least know now so that we don’t put you in anymore similar situations.”

“I’m still really sorry, Y/N. I feel terrible,” Changbin sighed. Again, you shook your head.

“I promise it’s okay. I know you wouldn’t intentionally do that. You were just trying to have fun,” you said, giving him a half smile. “I’m sorry for ruining everyone’s day.” Chan walked over to you, ruffling his hand through your hair, causing your smile to widen as a small laugh fell from your lips.

“You didn’t ruin anything, Squirt, so don’t start stressing about that. We’re just glad you’re okay now,” Chan said, everyone voicing their agreements. You gave them appreciative nods before nuzzling further into your boyfriend’s chest, Jeongin’s arms tightening around you.

“Hey, how does some ice cream sound?”

The boys laughed when you perked up, nodding your head excitedly. “Okay, ice cream it is then. There’s a place down the beach that sells some,” Chan informed. Felix, Changbin, Hyunjin and Minho offered to go along to help bring back some for the others. “Chocolate or vanilla?” Changbin asked you.

“Both,” you grinned cheekily. Changbin laughed at your response before sending you a wink and saying, “You got it, Squirt.” And with that, the five of them set off to retrieve the treats, the other three boys and you staying back on the beach. Jisung and Seungmin found their places on the blankets, laying down to wait for the others to get back with their deserts.

Jeongin placed a gentle kiss against your forehead before asking, “are you sure you’re okay?”

“I wasn’t then but I am now, thanks to you,” you told your boyfriend, placing a kiss on his cheek in return.

“I promise nothing like that will ever happen again. I’ll keep you safe,” Jeongin said sincerely. You smiled, lifting your hand to his face, your thumb rubbing along his cheek as you responded, “I know you will.”


End file.
